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Topic: Civil War History (Read 1453 times)

Recently, a Professor/Civil War Historian, here at Murfreesboro TN(Battle Of Stones River) printed in the local paper that, in his research, N B Forrest never participated in the KKK after the cut throats took control. He was forcibly(not his will) appointed grand wizard, but no evidence can be found he ever participated in any Clan activity afterwards. There has been a large controversy here lately.

The KKK did start in Pulaski TN, which was N B F's hometown prior to the war, but the Historian said he never returned there to live after the war. The clan was started to protect southern women from being ravaged by the occupying forces and carpet baggers. It later turned into a terrible bunch of hoodlums. The historian said Forrest moved to Memphis where he later died. He showed evidence where Forrest wrote letters explain these facts surrounding the KKK and his involvement with the organization.

An interesting sidebar is, there was a building, on Mid TN ST University campus, named in his honor. Forrest Hall has been named that ever since the University had been there. The snowflakes of today have since had his name removed because of his association with the Civil War and slavery. The same group also tried to have a Bust and Portrait, of General Forrest, removed for our State Capitol building, but so far have been unsuccessful.

My wife's G-G Grandfather(Veterinarian) was set to be hung, in the Court House dome, and had the noose around him and 5 other southern solders necks. Gen N B Forrest divided his men and attacked the public square, from all 4 sides. His maneuver made the yanks fear that they were being attacked by a far superior force and instantly retreated. Forrest, and his men, captured a large stockpile of supplies along with freeing the 6 soldiers along with several other prisoners(Men from Cannon County TN).

My wife's G Grandfather was released and was walking, and returning to his unit camped just 3 miles outside of Murfreesboro. He walked into an ambush and was wounded in the leg. He was lame from that day onward, and was discharged. Her family had several members fight in the Battle Of Stones River.

Just thought you would like to know about what the historian said about Gen Forrest and the KKK. Don't know if it is true or not, but the guy did say he had proof, as far as that goes.

Allow me to tell you another Gen N B Forrest story which is told proudly in Cannon County, even today. The Yanks, that Forrest set to running from the public Square in Murfreesboro, who were also set to hang my wife's GG-Grandfather, had sent out patrol around the Mid TN countryside. They would pillage supplies and gather intel like all armies do even today. Cannon County, at that time, was a very small sparsely populated "hill country" area. One of these Yank mounted patrols rode into an ambush while riding through a corner of Cannon County. Some of the yanks were killed and wounded in the skirmish.

As a result of the previous ambush, the Yank Army rounded up every male in the entire county. Captured them, and brought them to Murfreesboro. Their purpose was to find out who participated in the previous ambush of the Yank patrol. These men were brought to Murfreesboro and incarcerated close to the Public Square.

It is told that the southern ladies, of Cannon County, got word to Gen Forrest and he came to them. They begged the General to go and get their men back. It is told that the General told them, "That they would have their men back the next day then rode off."

As a result of Gen Forrest's attack, on the square, their men were liberated and walked back to Cannon County the afternoon after the battle.

The older inhabitants very proudly speak of this local history, to this day. And yes, they have a deep affection for Gen N B Forrest, even today.

Every time I hear the song "On A Sunday In the South" which is sung by the country music group, "Shenandoah" (google) There is a line in that song " A ragged rebel flag flies high above it all, a poppin in the wind like an angry cannon ball, now all the history lies cold and still, but they still smell the powder burning, and probably always will," I think of the history surrounding the "Battle Of Stones River."

My wife and I have visited the Battle Field and took the "Late Evening Lantern Tour." Reenactors, dressed in period costumes, read actual letters home from some of the troops who are buried in various graves throughout the cemetery. It is quiet moving experience. One such letter home told about, on the night of new years eve, the opposing armies singing Christmas Carols, to each other on that evening. Both armies were camped within hearing distance of each other.

Civil War history is deeply rooted here in Middle TN. It hurt a lot older people when the snowflakes were able to get Gen Forrest name removed from the building (Forrest Hall) on MTSU campus.

Snowflakes have also marched , demonstrated and picket the Civil War statue both on the square in Murfreesboro, and also in the the City of Franklin TN. One man even sued the city of Franklin because the statue on the square there offended him. He lost in court. They have been unsuccessful so far.

I have a "somewhat" inspirational story about when we visited the Andersonville Prison site located in southern Georgia. If you are interested and want to read it, say so, and I will post it here. It touched my soul.

We went on an R V trop to Byron Georgia. We were interested on going to Plaines to see the president Carter home place, and view his boyhood area where he grew up. We were eating in a restaurant and seen a brochure titled the “Andersonville Trail.” I looked at it and it was about a 100-mile circle through Sothern Georgia with the Carter story within the Trail. We decided to take the Trail the next day. On the way was the Andersonville Prison site along with the Nat Prisoner of War museum. It is a National Park Site now. We decided to go view it. We watched a short film about the POW museum and it included a description of the former prison. In the part about the prison they spoke of the monument named “Providence Spring.” Following is a description of it from their web page.

“God smote the hillside and gave them drink” – Inscription at Providence Spring

In November 1863, Confederate Captain Sidney Winder chose the village of Andersonville in Sumter County, Georgia as the location for a new prison for captured Union soldiers. The prison was completed in February of 1864, and by August there were over 33,000 Union soldiers enclosed in an area meant for 10,000 men. The stream that supplied the camp with water soon became polluted by human waste, and deaths from disease and gangrene rose, with up to 90 soldiers dying each day. In desperation, a group of soldiers began to pray for water. Soon, a storm broke out, and thunder roared, and where lightning struck the prison ground, a fountain of pure spring water erupted. Whether it was the prayer or construction of the prison that caused the underground water to well up, no one knows, but that clean water saved the lives of thousands of Union soldiers, and continues to flow to this day.

Well, I was really interested in this spring so we went out on the road that encircles the old prison grounds. This prison was an open field (20 Acers) which is built on two opposing hillsides with a very small creek flowing through the middle. Not a single roofed shelter was inside the walls of the prison. It had a log outer fence surrounding the open field with what they called the dead line about 10 feet inside the outer wall. The inside fence was just a wire stretched about waist high. The outer wall had guard towers about every 50 ft. If a prisoner crossed the wire the guards would kill him.

The guards, disease, starvation and exposure were not all that prisoners had to deal with. A group of prisoners, calling themselves the Andersonville Raiders, attacked their much weaker and injured fellow inmates to steal food, jewelry, money and clothing. They were armed mostly with clubs and killed to get what they wanted. Another group rose up, organized by Peter "Big Pete" Aubrey, to stop the larceny, calling themselves "Regulators". They caught nearly all of the Raiders, who were tried by the Regulators' judge, Peter McCullough, and jury, selected from a group of new prisoners. This jury, upon finding the Raiders guilty, set punishment that included running the gauntlet, being sent to the stocks, ball and chain and, in six cases, hanging. Commander Wertz ordered the 6 hanged to be buried separate from the other prisoners because they died in dishonor and he wanted their fate to be known even after their death.

Those 6 graves bear the markings that these men died in dishonor and you can view them today. Their graves are in a separate location and all by themselves. Talk about your sins finding you out. The prison Captain said all the other soldier’s deaths were honorable, and the thief’s did not deserve to be buried with men of honor.

Most all the other headstones are erected side by side about 6” apart and in continuous rows. This is the only military cemetery where the stones are erected in this manner. Looking on them brings cold chills. This is to signify most were buried in a mass grave.

We drove on around the grounds and came to a small monument within the walls. I stopped, and walked over to it, and the inscription read “Providence Spring.” I tell you goose bumps rose on my neck and arms, again, when I read the inscription inside and remembered the story in the film. To stand on that spot was awe inspiring.

It had a plaque that read in 1901 prisoners who lived through the prison came back later to erect this monument marking the spot where they believed it was God who sent a very small black cloud, then lightning struck the ground within the walls, and water gushed forward and saved 1,000's of imprisoned helpless soldiers form impending death because of lack of fresh water. This lightening strike was witnessed by thousands of prisoners plus the prison guards.

Those who erected that monument was said to proclaim God did this act as answers to their prayers. They put a pipe in that hole in the ground in 1901, and water was running into a large marble bowl within the monument. It is said many traveled there from the North, and met there for years, at that site, to thank God for deliverance. I tell you it was totally awe inspiring to view this place.

You may be a believer in God, or not, but it is hard to stand on that spot, and not know there is a loving God who answered prayers. I believe! If you are even in South Georgia I advise you to go visit this spot. It just might change your life.

Much can be learned from history if one allows themselves to be teachable.

-sent from phone...typos possible-

Logged

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight, and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be. One hundred percent and then some.

Oldranger, just about every old family, in the eastern U S, had relatives in that war, if they do some research. My family lived in Eastern KY, which was a neutral state during the war. Men fought on both sides. Some say that was the reason for the Hatfield and McCoy family feud which took place about 20 miles from where my family lived. My grandmother knew the McCoy's, and spoke of them often. She would tell my sisters and I, when we were fighting, we were acting just like the Hatfield's and McCoy's.

After Kevin Costner made the film about the families and feud, my wife and I took a R V trip to that area. I showed her where my family came from(Caney KY), and we traveled on to the Paintsville, Prestonsburg, Pikeville, and Williams West Virginia area, and viewed the site where the feud took place. This was the time that Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, and it finally ended ur trip early. The area got 24" of snow in a couple of days after we left.

While there we went into the old Courthouse where the trials took place, and read all the markers, around town, where family fud sites had taken place. There was even a plaque, on the Pikeville College Campus, where Ellison Mounts(Cotton-Top) was publically hanged for killing one of the McCoy girls.

What stopped the feud, for the most part was, W-VA moved the Hatfield's to Logan, W VA, and the McCoy's to Pikeville KY, which separated them by a distance of about 55 miles. During horse back days that was a very long ride so that move slowed the killing. A truce was finally signed, between the families, in early 1980's.

Devil-ance and Randall McCoy were in the same army fighting for the confederates. Devil-ance deserted and came back home after he seen the war was to be lost, and Randall stayed and got captured and a prisoner for 2 more years. The Hatfield clan got in the timber business and became very affluent while Randall McCoy's family ended up broke. Randall never forgave Hatfield for deserting and many say that is the reason for the bad blood between both clans.

People from that area are very clannish, even today. When my oldest sister took us up there a few years ago they shunned us. I had not visited since I was a young child. My own family was very stand offish, until they found out I was Earnest Reed's son. Afterwards, you would have thought I had been there since childhood.

A somewhat funny sidebar is, Randall McCoy's last house he owned, located on the river bank in Pikeville, was now a Italian Restaurant. We had lunch there. He was moved there, by the KY Governor, and run a ferry boat across the river, for income, until his death. We went to the McCoy graveyard, and Randall's tombstone reads, "Proud Leader of the McCoy Clan" It was a fairly new grave marker and I really wonder if he would approve the saying on his headstone.

The W-VA Governor moved the Hatfield clan to Logan W-Va, and that is where Devil-ance is buried. We did not get to go there because of the snow storm cut our trip short.

Indeed.One of the main reasons I moved to Alabama early 1981 and stayed there till '84 was to learn, first hand, about my family's heritage.

I'm glad I did that because there are things that history books do not record, and that can only be learned by being there and living amongst those living the results. Stories are passed down from generation to generation, and unless ya hear it that way, ya probably won't hear it at all.

-sent from phone...typos possible-

Logged

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight, and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be. One hundred percent and then some.

I remember visiting Gettysburg with my father and his second wife, in the early 1950s.On one of the Confederate regimental monuments, was my step-mother's maternal-grandfather's name.Then, on one of the Union regimental monuments, we found her paternal-grandfather's name.

The two families didn't know each other at the time, of course.

My father's family didn't come to the US until long after the Civil War was over.My mother's family came here immediately after the end of that war.